In this new role, Chill will be responsible for overseeing more than a dozen clinics with a variety of organizational and funding structures, an expanded individual externship program, and a thriving Semester in Washington, DC program. He will also help develop new clinical opportunities and promote innovative teaching methods in nonclinical courses.

Chill, a 1985 graduate of UConn Law, will help implement a new practice-based learning requirement adopted by faculty in fall 2012 that took effect with students who entered the Law School this year. The new requirement ensures that all students have at least one intensive, carefully supervised, live lawyering experience before graduation. Fewer than 20 other U.S. law schools in the country currently have a similar requirement.

“I can think of no better person than Paul Chill to take on this new role,” said Dean Timothy S. Fisher. “His range of expertise in the clinical and academic realms, and his commitment to the Law School and our students, made him the optimal candidate.”

Chill’s appointment in this newly established role signals UConn Law’s commitment to greater administrative oversight of its expanding experiential learning curriculum. These programs are becoming more important as students look for ways to distinguish themselves in an increasingly competitive job market. Thirteen of the nation’s top 25 law schools now have a faculty administrator, other than the academic dean, charged with overseeing clinics and experiential learning.

Chill joined the law faculty in 1988 to co-supervise the Mental Health Law Clinic and has since directed or co-taught clinical programs focusing on child protection, disability law, civil rights, appellate litigation, and mediation. He also regularly teaches Legal Profession and Torts. Chill has published and been cited for his expertise in the area of child protection law and been lead counsel in multiple cases that led to significant institutional and law reform. He was an original member of the Connecticut Commission on Child Protection. From 2004-2008, Chill served as the Law School’s associate dean for academic affairs.